Pain has long been regarded as an unpleasant sensory consequence of neuronal activity in specific nociceptive pathways that is triggered by noxious stimuli, inflammation, or damage to the nervous system structure or function. However, classic models of disease and pain mechanisms do not adequately explain the commonly observed discrepancies between the extent of pathology levels of reported pain, the impact of experience of illness, disability, or in certain instances death, on the lived experience of pain. In other words, pain is not only a sensory event but a biobehavioral event as well. As such, it is subjective and therefore a significant cause of psychological suffering and even existential questioning. Thus treatment for many chronic pain syndromes, early in life, over the life course, and certainly at the end of life, remains an inexact science. The broad aim of this edited volume is to take a multidisciplinary, biobehavioral, and life course approach to understanding chronic pain. By way of introduction, the contributing authors review biopsychosocial approaches to understanding chronic pain and disability. Subsequent chapters describe issues related to communication and pain, pain and palliative care assessment, biobehavioral approaches to understanding common pain conditions, including pain in pediatric patients, pain in the older person, pain after traumatic brain injury (TBI), pain in the battlefield injured, pain in whiplash associated disorder (WAD), chronic low back pain, and adult cancer-related pain. Furthermore the volume addresses biobehavioral mechanisms associated with chronic pain, including stress and chronic pain, the biobehavior of hope, temporomandibular disorder and its relationship to fibromyalgia, and pain imaging, and reviews interventions for chronic pain including evidence-based pharmacotherapy’s for chronic pain, chronic pain and opioids, nerve block, trigger points and intrathecal therapies for chronic pain, neurosurgical interventions, and rehabilitation treatments for chronic musculoskeletal pain. Finally, the text discusses broader issues in chronic pain management, including psychosocial issues associated with chronic pain, spiritual dimensions of chronic pain and suffering, contributions from the humanities and social sciences in terms of understanding the chronic pain experience, and highlights ethical issues in pain and palliative care. The collaborators for this project are from diverse cultural and biomedical settings, including the United Kingdom, United States, Italy, England, Singapore, Canada, Australia, and Norway. The expertise in this volume span the fields of clinical medicine, neuroscience, neurosurgery, literature, anthropology, art, neuroanatomy, pediatrics, gerontology, pain imaging, health disparities, transportation, rehabilitation, palliative medicine, philanthropy, the medical humanities, oncology, physiology, anesthesiology, pharmacology, genetics, stress management, psychology, dentistry, complementary and alternative medicine, spiritual care, nursing, pain policy, and clinical ethics. Whilst highly multidisciplinary, authors explore the evidence base for chronic pain and palliative care in their individual professional areas and each has provided valuable insights with the hope that it will result in improved pain control and palliative care.

Medication use is the predominant form of health intervention in our society. And as we age, the likelihood of medication use increases dramatically, with more than 80 percent of those over age 65 using one or more medications. Along with that, the potential for medication errors also increases. Indeed adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and adverse drug events (ADEs) are a significant problem in older adults. Written in a practical format by contributors from Australia and the United States, Medication Management in Older Adults: A Concise Guide for Clinicians presents the available evidence on research interventions designed to reduce the incidence of medication errors in older adults, with a focus on acute, subacute, and residential (long-term) care settings. Because medication errors can occur at all stages in the medication process, from prescription by physicians to delivery of medication to the patient by nurses, and in any site in the health system, it is essential that interventions be targeted at all aspects of medication delivery. Chapters cover the principles of medical ethics in relation to medication management; common medication errors in the acute care sector; medication management in long-term care settings; nutrition and medications; the outcomes of a systematic review; dose form alterations; Electronic Health Records (EHR), Computerized Order Entry (COE), Beers criteria; and pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. For those clinicians especially concerned with providing the best possible outcomes for their older adult patients, Medication Management in Older Adults: A Concise Guide for Clinicians is an invaluable resource and a significant contribution to the burgeoning literature on medication errors.

The ever-increasing population of older adults residing in nursing homes and long-term care communities, as reflected in numerous demographic studies, point out a clear need for geropsychologists i.e., trained specialists in the field of aging and mental health, to meet the needs of this nation’s older adults. This Manual will provide a needed resource for psychologists working in long-term care settings and those who wish to do so. Key outcomes include the provision of high quality psychological services for this important but neglected sector namely, people living in nursing homes, assisted living communities and other LTC settings.

This text will be of great value to psychologists currently working in long-term care settings who have had graduate work in geropsychology, yet desire more in-depth and practical training. A second audience includes those individuals who may have a leaning towards expanding their professional activities in long-term care and are seeking additional preparation before doing more work with older adults. A third group is comprised of those individuals who are not psychologists, yet have had some training and coursework in aging and mental health. This Manual serves as an important complement to previous training. This text can also be useful to guide geropsychologists in the training of non-specialists who will in turn be able to pass this knowledge onto others via careful study of its contents.

The wealth of knowledge contained in the classic text, Geriatric Medicine: An Evidence-Based Approach, 4/e, by Cassel et al. has been streamlined into this handy guide that enables primary care, family medicine, and internal medicine residents to quickly integrate the material into clinical practice. Written by top experts in the field, this book is an excellent overview of geriatric care. It addresses geriatric pharmacology, Medicare and Medicaid, and other subjects unique to older adults. The text has a case-based instructional approach that helps readers navigate the complexity of disease prevention, presentation, and treatment for conditions such as depression, dementia, and hypertension. Graphs and tables also aid the reader in determining the proper courses of treatment. The broad range of knowledge and skill presented in this practical guide make it an essential resource for all those caring for the elderly.

Fr om one of the world’s leading medical journals comes the definitive evidence-based, full-color guide to end-of-life and palliative care

"...represents an important milestone in the evolution of care for people with advanced disease—-for which its editors and authors and JAMA should be rightly proud. It is wonderful that JAMA had the foresight to publish a series on this topic, which, as medicine has become more technologically advanced and subspecialized, is often overlooked and, sometimes worse, avoided....this book will be invaluable for front-line clinicians, and indeed all health care practitioners—as care at the close of life is a part of almost all of medicine’s specialties and settings."--Irene J. Higginson, BMBS, PhD, FPPHM, FRCP; Dept. of Palliative Care, Policy, & Rehabilitation; Cicely Saunders Institute; King's College London (from the foreword)

A new addition to the JAMAevidence series, Care at the Close of Life: Evidence and Experience offers evidence-based and clinical expert guidance on caring for patients with life-lim iting illness, incorporating the words and perspectives of affected patients, their families, and treating clinicians.

At some time, most families will need to provide home care for an aging family member who is ill or disabled. While home caregiving provides many benefits, it takes careful planning, support, and patience.

The American Medical Association Guide to Home Caregiving provides the information you need to take the best possible care of an elderly, ill, or disabled person in a home setting. Written by experts from the American Medical Association, the book explains such essentials as how to:
* Plan and arrange a room to adapt to a loved one's needs
* Give medications, maintain hygiene, monitor symptoms, deal with incontinence, provide emotional support, and relieve boredom
* Choose a home healthcare provider
* Pay for home healthcare, including Medicare and Medicaid, and long-term care insurance
* Care for a person with Alzheimer's disease or a terminal illness
* Choose between alternative living arrangements such as assisted living facilities or nursing homes
* Take care of yourself, the caregiver

With advice that touches both the physical and the emotional aspects of caregiving, this supportive, practical handbook will help make the experience as successful and rewarding as possible for you and your loved one.

For more than 150 years, the American Medical Association has been the leading group of medical experts in the nation and one of the most respected health-related organizations in the world. The AMA continues to work to advance the art and science of medicine and to be an advocate for patients and the voice of physicians in the United States.

Children with life-threatening and terminal illnesses--and their families--require a unique kind of care to meet a wide variety of needs. This book provides an authoritative source for the many people involved in caring for dying children. It draws together contributions from leading authorities in a comprehensive, fully up-to-date resource, with an emphasis on practical topics that can be put to immediate use. The book covers the entire range of issues related to the hospice environment: organizational structure, clinical issues, the complementary roles of medical professionals and volunteers, the particular circumstances of neonatal and AIDS-related deaths, pain and symptom control, and bereavement support. It explains the developmental stages of children's understanding of death and offers useful advice about school programs and the helpful role of children's literature. Special consideration is given to the need to provide support to hospice staff as well as to grieving parents and surviving siblings. The book is intended for all those who participate in the hospice-care process: physicians, nurses, social workers, teachers, clergy, family therapists, parents, and community service volunteers.

This book is the first authoritative, systematic and comprehensive text to define the increasingly important and evolving specialty of paediatric palliative care. It explores both the clinical aspects and the multidimensional and holistic nature of care for the dying child, based on the knowledge that all human experience has a physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual impact. The book covers ways of providing support in all of these areas both for the child, families, and carers, recognising the importance of teamwork and taking an evidence-based approach. The Oxford Textbook of Palliative Care for Children is about the care of children for whom cure of their underlying disease is not possible. It encompasses the physical management of symptoms such as pain and nausea, as well as social issues such as accessing appropriate education and funding, emotional issues such as techniques for communication, and spiritual issues such as feelings of guilt and isolation. The book suggests that if we are to maintain the quality of life for a child it is essential to recognise all these dimensions and try to address them. This can only be done by recognising the skills of a wide range of professionals and working together in ways that are not always intuitive to any one discipline. It explores the multidimensional and holistic nature of care for the dying child. Those working in paediatric palliative care recognise that all human experience has emotional, psychological and spiritual impact as well as physical, and this book attempts to find ways of providing support in all these.

Presented in a concise, systematic format, this clinically oriented book provides nurses and physicians quick access to up-to-date information on how to assess and manage pain in infants and children, including adolescents who suffer from acute and chronic pain conditions. This book provides a comprehensive review of medications for infants and children as well as nonpharmacological interventions to achieve optimal pain management for young patients undergoing needle-related procedures as well as painful conditions related to surgery, trauma, cancer, sickle cell disease, and chronic pain.
Key Features:

Describes the consequences of untreated pain on development of children
Summarizes pain assessment tools recommended for verbal and preverbal patients as well as those who are critically or terminally ill
Provides general principles and specific dosing recommendations for non-opioids, opioids, and coanalgesics for optimal safety and effective reduction in pain
Describes the indications, medications, and ongoing care and monitoring related to the increasing use of epidural and continuous peripheral nerve block infusions for pediatric patients
Provides information on how to use age-appropriate strategies for cognitive, cognitive-behavioral, and physical approaches to reduce pain
Includes useful resources, such as websites, and other tools, such as pain diaries and patient education information, to support multidisciplinary teams and parents who care for children with acute and chronic pain

Rehabilitation in Cancer Care is an essential clinical resource for all Allied Health Professionals working within or entering this specialist area. It provides practical guidance for the rehabilitation of people with cancer or those receiving palliative care. As well as explaining the key skills required at every stage of the cancer journey, the book specifically offers advice on diagnosis, treatment, management and effective interventions. Furthermore the role of each member of the interdisciplinary team is clearly explained at each stage, as is the importance of team work and holistic care.

Section 1 introduces the reader to the rationale for the rehabilitation of people with cancer or those receiving palliative care, Section 2 looks at the multi-professional management of common cancers and Section 3 looks at symptom management.

Tthis highly practical guide covers current approaches and new developments in the assessment and management of Breakthrough Pain, including both cancer-related pain and non-cancer chronic pain. It addresses the roles of opioid and non-opioid pharmacotherapy and presents non-pharmacologic interventions, as well.

This comprehensive reference on Breakthrough Pain is ideal for palliative care doctors, anesthesiologists, pain medicine specialists and oncologists, as well as for primary care physicians and internists on the frontlines of care.

This book will help you to develop some of the essential assessment skills that are needed to support patients with long-term conditions in secondary and primary care settings. You may be at the beginning of your career, or you may be an experienced practitioner who is moving into long-term conditions care. At whatever level you may be, this book will give you some guidance on how to use appropriate assessment tools and to reflect on your experience from practice.Supporting patients with long-term conditions is not solely the domain of nursing. This book is intended to be suitable for a range of practitioners who are interested in developing their assessment skills further. However some examples have been given from a nursing perspective.The exercises throughout the book have been designed to encourage you to reflect on your practice and draw from the wide range of evidence that is available to support your development. You can work through them at your own pace and return to chapters that you need to learn more about.

Palliative Medicine is the professional medical practice of prevention and relief of suffering and the support of the best possible quality of life for patients and their families, regardless of the stage of the disease or the need for other therapies. The most common cause for palliative care referral is terminal cancer, and a large proportion of those referrals include patients who will need palliative radiotherapy during the course of their disease. Still, there are barriers to coordinated care between radiation oncologists and palliative care physicians that differ fr om one country to another. Until now, one overarching lim itation to appropriate concurrent care between the specialties across all countries has been the lack of a comprehensive yet concise reference resource that educates each of the specialties about the potential synergistic effects of their cooperation. This book fills that void.

Radiation Oncology in Palliative Cancer Care:
Is the first book-length treatment of this important topic available on the market
Is authored by world-renowned experts in radiation oncology and palliative medicine
Uses a multidisciplinary approach to content and patient treatment
Features decision trees for palliative radiotherapy based upon factors such as patient performance status and prognosis
Pays careful attention to current best practices and controversies in the delivery of end-of-life cancer care

This book is an important resource for practicing radiation oncologists and radiation oncologists in training, as well as hospice and palliative medicine physicians and nurses, medical oncologists, and geriatricians.

This comprehensive textbook of geriatric medical practice provides up-to-date, evidence-based, and practical information about all the major medical problems of aging citizens. This new edition includes expanded sections on acute stroke, dementia, cardiovascular disease and health, respiratory diseases, and training. To capture an international perspective this new text has contributions from a global editorial team.

This all-encompassing text continues to be a must-have text for all clinicians who deal with older people, particularly geriatric medical specialists, gerontologists, researchers, and general practitioners.

People are living longer, and the elder population is growing larger. To meet the ongoing need for quality information on elder health, the Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health combines multiple perspectives to offer readers a more accurate and complete picture of the aging process.

The book takes a biopsychosocial approach to the complexities of its subject. In-depth introductory chapters include coverage on a historical and demographic overview of aging in America, a guide to biological changes accompanying aging, an analysis of the diversity of the U.S. elder population, legal issues commonly affecting older adults, and the ethics of using cognitively impaired elders in research.

From there, over 425 entries cover the gamut of topics, trends, diseases, and phenomena: Specific populations, including ethnic minorities, custodial grandparents, and centenarians; core medical conditions associating with aging, from cardiac and pulmonary diseases to Parkinson s and Alzheimers; mental and emotional disorders; drugs/vitamins/alternative medicine; disorders of the eyes, feet, and skin insomnia and sleep disorders; malnutrition and eating disorders; sexual and gender-related concerns and a broad array of social and political issues, including access to care, abuse/neglect, veterans affairs, and assisted suicide.

Entries on not-quite-elders concerns (e.g., midlife crisis, menopause) are featured as well. And all chapters and entries include references and resource lists. The Encyclopedia has been developed for maximum utility to clinicians, social workers, researchers, and public health professionals working with older adults. Its multidisciplinary coverage and scope of topics make this volume an invaluable reference for academic and public libraries.

Designed for anyone involved in treating geriatric patients, this New Edition continues to be the best comprehensive source for clinical solutions for the challenging geriatric population. Inside, you'll find a wealth of information on the principles of geriatric primary care...detailed, case-based approaches to major geriatric syndromes...and presentations of common conditions and situations. What's more, the 5th Edition now includes evidence-based medicine that helps you form a definitive diagnosis and create the best treatment plans possible and a BONUS CD-ROM containing supplemental materials.
Incorporates engaging case studies throughout to illustrate all of the principles and key clinical information you need to treat your geriatric patients as well as their families.
Features a two-color layout that highlights the most important information.
Provides evidence-based medicine wherever possible, giving you the most authoritative information on diagnosis, treatment, and management options.
Features an interdisciplinary perspective that reflects the field's increasingly team-oriented approach to geriatric care.
Presents USMLE-style questions in every chapter for quick review before clinical cases.
Uses a consistent format from chapter to chapter that lets you access the information you need fast.

The latest addition to the Evidence-Based Book series, Evidence-Based Geriatric Medicine provides non-geriatrician clinicians an overview of key topics central to the care of the older patient. This guide focuses on the management of common problems in the elderly taking into account their life situations as well as treatment of specific conditions. Leading geriatricians with expertise in evidence-based medicine utilize the best available evidence and present this information in a concise, easy-to-use, question-based format. Evidence-Based Geriatric Medicine is a unique guide to the optimum management of older patients.

Providing a practical, up-to-date reference in Geriatric Medicine, Hospitalists' Guide to the Care of Older Patients is the first book written specifically for hospitalists who need concise, evidence-based information on the vital topic of caring for older hospitalized patients. This groundbreaking text covers the care of older patients, their needs and vulnerabilities, and the current hospital practice environment. The book provides tools to translate what is known about the older patient's unique needs into steps that can be immediately implemented to improve care and limit avoidable morbidity.